Meet The Pros - Doug Koch

Meet The Pros – Doug Koch

Doug Koch does it all: brings home the medals, organizes high level play all over Northern California  and runs his own teaching business, Pickleball Pimp. Enjoy!

12-time Medalist in Huntsman World Senior Games including 2 Singles Gold Medals
5-time Medalist in USAPA Nationals in Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles, & Singles
2014 SoCal Classic 50+ Men's Doubles and Mixed Doubles - Gold Medalist

What paddle do you play with and why?

I play with the Selkirk Omni 31P XO Glen Peterson signature paddle. It has a great feel which allows for precision placement and plenty of power plus the extra length allows hitting sharper angles on volleys and overheads.

What's your pickleball story? How were you introduced to pickleball?

My brother Jimmy from Colorado played a few times when visiting his in-laws in Surprise, AZ. He brought some balls & paddles to my daughter's high school graduation. We tied a badminton net to 2 garbage cans, chalked out a court in my driveway, and wound up playing all weekend. I was hooked!! I started playing with a local group in Grass Valley and soon was playing 5 times a week.

What's your preference: playing indoor or outdoor?

I do a lot of teaching indoors and play indoors on rainy days but you can't beat playing outdoors on a nice day!

Do you like singles or doubles better? Why?

I enjoy both. I enjoy the amount of running and the battle of wills that is the singles game and the teamwork and strategy of the doubles game.

What's your favorite place to play? Why?

Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville, CA where I am one of the teaching pros. I love the great competition and the comfort level of having played thousands of games there. My favorite tournament is the SoCal Classic in Encinitas, CA. It is a great location near the beach in the summertime, well run, great competition.

What's your secret sauce? Any tips for players?

I was fortunate when I was getting started that I got to play & drill with many strong players and teachers: Prem Carnot, Wendy Garrido, Matthew Blom, Steve Wong, Alan Christensen, Ian & Kim Dickson and the Johnson Ranch crew. I tried to learn from everyone better than I was and figured out how to try to make it a little harder for them to beat me (and bruise me).

What's your day job?

I was a software engineer for 30+ years.  My 2nd career is pickleball teaching pro, Pickleball Pimp, which is something completely different.

How many hours a week do you play? How do you make time to play?

I teach about 15 hours per week and play about the same.

Any lucky rituals before a big tournament?

Not really, I'm not very superstitious.

Do you have any pickleball goals you'd like to share?

As a teacher, I would like to help continue the growth of pickleball by teaching adult & junior players. I would also like to try to become a better player and teammate.

Anything else you'd like to share about your experience being one of the best pickleball players in the world?

Pickleball is great exercise, let's you hang out with the nicest people in the world, and is just plain FUN!!